Guardian announces new app on Facebook to make news more social

Yesterday at f8, Facebook's developer conference, the Guardian unveiled its first Facebook app, a new social news experience that makes it easy for Facebook users to discover the most relevant Guardian content through their friends.

The Guardian app for Facebook builds on Guardian News & Media's recently-announced digital-first strategy and pioneering open approach to journalism. It will give Facebook users the choice to read and share Guardian and Observer content from within the Facebook environment, and will make news stories easier to share on the world's largest social network, bringing the Guardian's award-winning journalism to larger, engaged audiences.

Using the app will also mean that Facebook users will be able to take part in a more "social reading" experience; they will be able to discover new content by seeing what their friends are reading through the Guardian app, and what articles are proving popular amongst Facebook users.

Meg Pickard, Head of Digital Engagement, Guardian News & Media, said: "We know that a lot of Guardian readers are keen Facebook users, and vice versa, so we wanted to create a news experience that was native to the Facebook environment. The app draws on the social functionality they are already familiar with to highlight and discover quality Guardian content, and makes users' reading experience more personal and relevant.

"We've had a presence on Facebook for some time, but working with them to develop this app as a Facebook Open Graph launch partner has demonstrated that it's possible to get the best of both social and news worlds. We can also engage new readers who may not already be frequently interacting with the Guardian brand, who can now discover our excellent content via their friends' interactions."

Christian Hernandez, Director, Platform Partnersips, Facebook, said: "Since Facebook Platform launched four years ago, innovative companies have been transforming industries by rebuilding products through social design. The Guardian is rethinking how people consume news online through its new integration with Facebook, making it easier for people to discover the most relevant news through their friends."

The app will serve Guardian News & Media's own advertising in order to generate revenue and, for launch, is sponsored by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in England and North Wales.

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Notes to editors

Further information about the Guardian Facebook app is available online here.

The Guardian's app for Facebook can be accessed directly by visiting http://apps.facebook.com/theguardian/ and choosing the "Use this application" option. Alternatively, Facebook users can access the app by sharing a Guardian link on their wall in the normal way, or clicking links to Guardian content posted by their Facebook friends.

The app was developed in-house in partnership with Facebook using the Guardian's API and Techlightenment's SMART platform. Techlightenment is an Experian company and preferred Facebook developer consultant.

Guardian News & Media

The Guardian was named Newspaper of the Year at the 2011 Press Awards.

The Guardian is owned by the Scott Trust, which was created in 1936 to safeguard the title's journalistic freedom. In 2008 the Scott Trust became a limited company, with the same protections for the Guardian enshrined in its constitution. The core purpose of the Trust is to secure the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian in perpetuity. Profits generated by Guardian Media Group (GMG) are reinvested to sustain journalism that is free from commercial or political interference. No individual can benefit financially from being a shareholder in the Trust, making it a unique form of media ownership.

Guardian News & Media (GNM) publishes theguardian.com, one of the world's leading news websites, and the Guardian and Observer newspapers. GNM is the core business of GMG, whose sole shareholder is the Scott Trust. GMG has a portfolio of investments, including an investment fund, a majority share in Auto Trader publisher Trader Media Group and a minority share in business-to-business media group Emap, which provide financial stability for the core business.

NHS Blood and Transplant

The app is being launched in association with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) for users in England and North Wales. NHSBT are hoping their association will encourage Facebook users to donate blood, a simple act that will help to save and improve many lives. The sponsorship deal was negotiated by their media agency M4C.